Storage jar decorated under the glaze in blue and black. The body is emblazoned with large calligraphic motifs, left in reserve so that they stand out against the darker ground. Smaller bands of calligraphy in black on white decorate the shoulder and the foot. Arabic calligraphy is a dominant presence on the decoration of this jar, even though most of it does not have any recognisable meaning. This is one of a group of impressively large jars made during the Mamluk period for storing and transporting foodstuffs. They were richly decorated, either in underglaze, as here, or in lustre.